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Tag Archives: reading

Here’s a passionate argument, taking its cue from the Slow Food Movement, in favour of slow reading; not just any old fiction mind you but proper ‘literature’. Since it rates reading as the most virtuous of pastimes (and reading of the classics as the most virtuous of the virtuous) I should be won over, but….

I certainly agree that what we fill our minds with is as important as what we choose to eat; who wouldn’t compare the satisfaction and intellectual nourishment from a well plotted classic with the sense of well-being felt after a good meal? And as someone who seems to reach for the classsics (older and more modern) almost by default, I should be shouting loudly in favour of such a movement. I was especially taken with this line,

“…individuals who frequently read fiction seem to be better able to understand other people, empathize with them, and see the world from their perspective.”

If that is the case then EVERYONE should be reading more fiction as empathy is something we could do with a lot more of. I would only hesitate in being so severe, as Maura Kelly is, on other forms of entertainment and indeed reading. Great television shows can also illuminate, stimulate and make us smarter. They too can help us engage with contemporary issues and figure out where we stand. TV doesn’t have to be mindless entertainment. And surely a Slow Books Movement shouldn’t be confined to literature alone? What about all the polemists, academics and worthy commentators competing for our attention? Non-fiction is too important to omit.

So the premise is an excellent one but let’s not put too many barriers in place before we even begin. Less rules and more reading!

Until last year I wouldn’t allow myself to leave a novel unfinished. Once I had started reading it didn’t matter whether I was enjoying it or not; as a rule, I had to see it through. This resulted in a lot of speed reading just so I could move onto a better book. It required some discipline but I began to see it as a pointless exercise. Here’s why you should too:

1. Life is short. Too short in fact to use relaxation time on something that doesn’t make the everyday pleasure of reading a pleasure.

2. There are so many good books that deserve our attention. Seek them out and relish the possibilities they offer.

3. You’re an adult now. My rule was a hangover from schooldays where an exam awaited at the end of the book. There is no exam. Reading is not a chore.

4. It is counterproductive. As avid readers we like having our faith in books affirmed. Bad reads don’t achieve this.

5. Books are not like broccoli. You have to like them to get the full benefit.

My most recent unfinished reads are The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and James Lee Burke’s In the Electric Mists with the Confederate Dead. It’s not that I disliked them but they failed to hold my attention when something better came along. Abandonment without the guilt.

There is one caveat to this new attitude. Some books can be started and left to one side with the intention of finishing them at a later date. They might be more demanding than your average read, ask for more of your time, require more investment. That’s why Ulysseswon’t be going on the unfinished list. I may be on page 44 since last Summer but it hasn’t been abandoned 😉